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mortality, 16'4 per 1,000—although 0.5 below the decennial
average—having been higher than in any preceding year since
1881, when it was 16.6 per 1,000. In seven of my thirteen
four-weekly reports I had to record a rate above the decennial
average, the excess ranging from 0.2 per 1,000 in October to
2.0 per 1,000 in March; the rate in this month (20.9) being
the highest in the year, the lowest rate (11.3) having been
recorded in the month of September. The mortality from the
principal diseases of the zymotic class was also above the corrected
decennial average, for the first time since 1880 ; the
deaths from measles, diphtheria, and diarrhoea being in excess,
those from small-pox, scarlet fever (which was nominally
epidemic) and from "fever " being below the average. There
was one death only (of an imported case) from small-pox, no
death from typhus fever, and only eleven deaths from enteric
fever (vide Table at page 23).
The death rate in the first four weeks of the year (ended
January 29th) was '20.8 per 1,000 persons living, and 0.7 above
the decennial average; it was, however, 1.9 below the Metropolitan
rate (22.7), this being 1.3 below the average. The
deaths from the principal diseases of the zymotic class were 31 ,
and 6 above the corrected decennial average. Measles,
whooping cough, and diphtheria were the causes of 14, 9, and 4
deaths respectively. The deaths of young children (93 under
five years of age) and of aged persons (94 at 60 years and
upwards) were largely in excess, the deaths from chest
affections (87, including 64 from bronchitis), being especially
numerous : these results were due to severity of weather, fog,
&c. The mean temperature of the air was 35°.6 Fahr. and 2°.l
below the means in the corresponding weeks in the previous ten
years.
In the second four-weekly period (5th-8th weeks, January
30th to February 26th), the death rate fell to 1 8.3 per 1,000,
and was 0.4 below the average and 0.7 below the Metropolitan
rate (19.0), this being 5.5 below the average. Thedeathsfrom the
principal diseases of the zymotic class were 32 and 8 above the